`Black Sheep'

In this basic rehash of `Tommy Boy,' an equally unimpressive comedy, David Spade plays an election aide who must watch over a candidate's brother, Chris Farley, a chubby, loudmouthed, obnoxious, loose cannon. If Farley gets in the spotlight for anything bad, like he usually does, the candidate's hopes for election are slim. So, Spade has the thankless task of hiding out with the fat man in a cabin somewhere in the middle of nowhere. But, of course, since this is a comedy, Farley gets away, and Spade, who cannot tell him why he's hiding him without hurting his feelings, drags along after Farley trying to convince him to come back...or something like that…

Despite being directed by `Wayne's World' director Penelope Spheeris, this film's very basic and juvenile comedy is nothing good. At all. The jokes (if you can call them that) almost all fall flat, and I rarely laughed.

David Spade's character is a bland, dull, lifeless and immobile creature who we could not care for one way or another, no matter how bad things get.

Chris Farley is just plain annoying, as always, with his off-the-wall antics and loudmouthed `jokes' that are more outbursts than anything else. I sometimes wonder if fellow `SNL' comedian Mike Myers was playing for more than just a disgusting character when he created Fat Basta^&… for `Austin Powers'?

`Black Sheep' is the kind of movie that no one is talking about the next day. It is utterly forgettable and very, very, VERY basic. It's not an awful comedy, mind you, because I have seen much worse; however, there is really nothing to recommend about `Black Sheep.'

People said Chris Farley was the next John Candy, but John Candy will never be matched. John Candy's comedic talent lay in true comedy. He could make us laugh while making us cry. Candy was a good – great – comedian. He had all the traits of a one-in-a-million kind of actor.

Farley, on the other hand, gained his laughs by making stupid outbursts, like `I bought a kite from a bald guy!' that are so odd that people laugh at not because they are funny, but because they are odd.

People should be glad that Farley died, because he would have worn out with America, just like David Spade did; unfortunately, even good `Saturday Night Live' comedians like Dana Carvey, Kevin Nealon (Hans and Franz) etc. are all dying out. It's too bad that comedians who are usually remembered for being great are people like Farley – annoying, loudmouthed slobs who hadn't an ounce of real comic talent in them.

I think that people should realize, in the future, that just because a comedian is fat he is NOT John Candy.

2/5 stars – basic comedy –

John Ulmer

Black Sheep is one of the two films in which Chris Farley stars alongside the constant sarcasm of David Spade (the other being Tommy Boy, which is almost as funny), and the results are childish but endlessly amusing. Farley plays Mike Donnelly, the younger and nuttier brother of Al Donnelly, who is campaigning to be governor of Washington. Mike's seemingly constant screw-ups, which cause serious havoc during his brother's campaign, provide for the majority of the comedy in the film. There can be no mistake that this is entirely slapstick comedy, but it succeeds very well because Farley can pull it off so well. The hopelessly geeky Spade balances out Farley's hyper-activity with his collected but nerdy performance, leaving us with an odd couple that could be called a slightly less mature version of that of the late Walter Matthou and the later Jack Lemmon (a moment of silence for Matthou, Lemmon, and Farley, would be in order about now…).

It is strange that such an immature film could deal so extensively with a relatively serious subject as politics and still manage to keep the slapstick successful, especially since there are moments of real emotion in the film. Gary Busey appears in a small but very effective and amusing role as Sgt. Drake Savage, a military-minded guy who ultimately seems to have a heart of gold. The interactions between him and Spade are some of the funniest moments in the film, along with the constant humor that seems to always be emanating from Farley. The cabin scene with Mike and Steve (Spade) is especially amusing ("I got dibs on top bunk!").

I am not going to attempt to say that Black Sheep is a truly intellectual film, nor is there anything particularly amazing about the script or direction, but the comedy is excellent, there can be no mistake about that. I mean, Tommy Boy and other movies, like Major Payne, are no cerebral workouts either, but the comedy is there. That's the reason to watch these movies, and to their credit, you can tell that just by looking at the cover. You probably won't learn anything or see the portrayal of many serious issues in a movie like Black Sheep, but you will laugh heartily and you will remember it for that.

In his famous TV show, (At The Movies), film critic Gene Siskel said that this was the first film he walked out on in 26 years of reviewing movies. Well, maybe he was having intestinal problem at the moment!

When an important critic says that, it doesn't mean necessarily that he's right. Originally, you are the one who can make Siskel's reviews, or else's, look right or not. Because any film critic is speaking his own mind, not yours. Sometimes it's the same thing. And sometimes it isn't. This time, obviously for me, it isn't!

This is not a bad movie. The word "intolerable" got no relation with it whatsoever. It's a light and sweet slapstick. Nothing is too goofy or too zany. No one showed ridiculous performance. It reminded me with the work of Laurel & Hardy, yet in colors, and with somehow thrilling plot. Chris Farley is doing his routine, and the chemistry between him and David Spade is working.

The actual problem was that this movie came after (Tommy Boy - 1995) which was a better movie. So the disappointment had to be powerful. And yes, you have to ask yourself; why after a comic detailed breakthrough such as (Tommy..), the new dual goes and make something which's clearly not better, or as good?! I believe the studio didn't know how to deal with the newly born star. So, they handled him any script just to exploit his success. But that wasn't for the sake of his career, us, and them; since the movie didn't hit the mark as its precedent.

The easy plan to invest Farley this time was by the reoccurrence of (Tommy..)'s factors. And sorrowfully Farley accepted it. Therefore some gags from the original (Tommy Boy) were recycled, however on a poor level with not much to support it either. For instance: the idea of idiot Farley and rational Spade, the problem of their sleep, even Spade got nothing new to show this round; he was repeating the whole thing yet weakly. And for some, it was hard to believe that the tongue-in-cheek was the movie's main, or only, goods!

Though, (Black Sheep) isn't really a Black Sheep. It is relaxingly uncomplicated, and has its moments. Just imagine that it was made before (Tommy..) and they had to release it later, and everything will be fine. I loved its innocent cartoonish sense, running gags, the character of the old lunatic veteran (Oh God! So Gary Busey CAN do comedy!! WAW the more you live, the more you see!), and the whole wacky time of it, where I didn't feel a single second of cheesiness, or repulsiveness, or bore.

Dear late Gene Siskel.. I admire many of your opinions. But, you were totally unfair towards this one. 1996 got some of the real agonizing comedies. (Kingpin) and (The Cable Guy) are little examples. Sometimes the critic, even the ordinary viewer, stands many movies good or bad, one after another, to have no patience for more. So walking out on a movie could mean that one critic was being tortured by one movie. Or that one critic just, for a reason out of the movie, couldn't have a good time.